


Zoo Ronpa

by NemuiNigen



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Angst, Daddy Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Furry, Grinding, Kissing, M/M, Nudity, Sexual Tension, hand holding, ishimondo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2018-09-11 13:55:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8982640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemuiNigen/pseuds/NemuiNigen
Summary: Zootopia AU. Mondo is a tiger and Gazelle's best back up dancer. Ishimaru is a black panther from the Meadowlands, and hired as Gazelle's new stage manager. Anything can happen.





	1. A New Job

Ishimaru was sure to check himself over one final time in his car mirror, readjusting his glasses and fixing the alignment on his tie that was only off by a mere centimeter which no one but him would have noticed.  He gulped before stepping outside to approach the backstage staff entrance. An anxious wave laced with fear and dash of annoyance washed over him to a point where he no longer realized his paw was still fiddling with the garnet around his neck; a nervous habit. "It is only nerves. Remain calm and just do what you were trained to do! This is only a job, after all," he kept muttering to himself.

It wasn't, and he knew it.

Gazelle was the most popular songstress in all of the Animal Kingdom, Zootopia in particular seeing as she was the face of the city. Ishimaru, the freshly business graduated black panther, was to be her new stage manager thanks their previous one suddenly quitting and him being the quickest to answer the emergency call for a stand-in for the remainder of the tour. That’s all this would be to him: a temp job until this tour was finished, but still one he had ever plan to do as perfect as possible. As he was lead through security to the back-stage area the panther was met with four of her tiger back up dancers.

He smiled as he straightened his posture even more than it already was. "Greetings,” he said with a bit of forced confidence. “It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Kyotaka Ishimaru and I'll be your new stage manager starting today. I’ll be sure to do a better job than your last one, I assure you!" he said as he gave a polite bow.

* * *

 

Mondo was in his dressing room. This wasn't the dream job he always envisioned having, but he couldn’t turn it down with the pay being more than good enough to pay the bills. Show time was in a few hours and fans were already being allowed into the VIP pre-show dance party which he had chosen not to attend along with the rest of the main cast. Mondo slipped on his tight dancer shorts that sparkled way too bright for his taste but if it’s what Gazelle wanted, it's what she would have.

A throaty growl escaped his throat as he stepped out to join the others and to see their new stage manager had just arrived. He scoffed at first sight of him. The last one couldn't handle the pressure and messed up too many times. Plans were already set in stone to fire him after the tour but then he had to go and quit right as the Tundra Town leg was supposed to start. Just thinking about it made the large tiger growl continuously lightly to himself. While the other dancers were usually calm and flamboyant he was the one who usually was the loud voice of reason. If the guy messed up, he would take charge it was only his right as the number one dancer on the team.

 

And as the four of them met up to go over the routine one last time, in the corner of his eye he saw a tuff of black shine enter his field of vision and before anything he was introducing himself. His curiosity was intrigued. Even in Zootopia, it was rare to see a panther outside of the grassland districts, even in Central City unless they were a member of the police force. It took Mondo by surprise for a moment before his nose crinkled, not finding their new arrivals scent all that pleasing right away, but he’d have to get used it. Ishimaru still looked like the lamest manger you could get. Thick rimmed glasses with a button up and tie? Mondo’s immediately thought was that he’d be gone faster than the first guy, but for the moment they needed everything to go smoothly. At the bow, Mondo was the first to speak up hand firmly on his hips as he stared down at the shorter cat.

 

He had to be friendly, at least for now. "Oii, nice 'ta meetcha! Names Mondo Oowada, and this S' my team," He pointed a thumb to the dancers who all waved back happily, but hardly paying much mind. Crossing his arms the tiger straightened to make himself look bigger. "Ya better know whatcha gettin’ into, ya hear, Ishimaru? We don't want another fuckin' mishap!" Though rough and bold, his voice still rang with a small chime of kindness in it, noticeable more thanks to the forced smile on his face.

 

Another gulp. Though demanding, it seemed most of the people he’d be working with were nice? He wasn’t too sure right off the bat. More importantly, they were holding him to high expectations just like he himself was. A mutual desire helps lead to common goals, or so Ishimaru always told himself.

Thou he was a tiger, the longer Oowada lingered around him the less intimidating he came off. He grinned widely before giving a salute. "Yes, I shall do just that. Failure isn't in my vocabulary," he said as he readjusted his glasses, yet again. For a moment, Ishimaru couldn't help but stare at the other. Having grown up in the Meadowlands it wasn’t common to see tigerfolk visit with it not being their usual habitat. He vaguely remembered having class with one college when he moved to Central City, but had never spoken to him. So this was actually his first time being so close to one.

He...didn't realize tigers were as built as Oowada. Then again, this tiger was a professional dancer! Even with fur that otherwise would hide muscle, Mondo’s body was lean; all beef and nothing else. The fact that he was wearing nothing but Gazelle’s signature dance shorts wasn’t helping. A noticeable shade of pink clouded over his face even as he tried to avert his eyes and look about the venue, taking it all in. "U-um! I-is there perhaps a Production Assistant present that I can speak to? Just so I know everything that needs to be taken care of before tonight's show?"

Mondo smirked, noticing Ishimaru’s embarrassed facial expression. _This guy is a total nerd,_ he thought to himself before pointing out a young woman. “Go talk to Sayaka. She’s the swan over by the lighting crew with the blue hair. Ya can’t miss ‘er!” A heavy pat was delivered to Ishimaru’s back, shoving him in the direction he needed to go. “Show time is in 2 hours so you better get to work!”

* * *

 

A tired sigh emitted from Ishimaru as only 20 minutes remained before curtain call. Everything was in order, thanks to Sayaka who had already gotten most pre-prep work out of the way before you arrived. For the first day, it really felt more like she was in charge more than anyone else, but he would learn quickly and start acting like the boss he was supposed to be very soon. Lighting was powered, every microphone was tested and ready, neatly organized in order they were to be used, and every stage outfit accounted for and right where they needed to be for when Gazelle would change, whether it be stage right, left, or the hidden room below stage. The final opening act was off stage.

“Is everyone, ready?” Ishimaru called out, running a speed check from everyone. “Is everyone hydrated? Has the dance team stretched properly?” Now he was just double checking things that weren’t even his concern, nor something he could help. The new stage manager had quickly taken to being a perfectionist and eliminate anything that could potentially hinder a flawless performance from anyone. “Oowada, are you and your team prepared?” he asked, red in the face with sweat, shaking slightly.

The leading tiger just started at the panther in confusion and amusement before playfully scoffing at him. “I never need to stretch! Don’t you worry about us!” Mondo uncrossed his arms and leaned forward as if to tower over Ishimaru. “Hurry up and finish the check up!”

Ishimaru felt adrenaline kick into his system upon hearing that Mondo hadn’t properly stretched. He didn’t care if the main tiger was used to dancing unstretched. Should he take on any injury then the whole show could potentially suffer! The last thing they needed was for Mondo to pull a muscle on stage and have to suddenly walk off. And so, the stage manager quickly had Mondo on the floor, forcing him, pressing into a warmup split. “Oowada, I can’t allow you do continue like this! If you refuse to prepare your body then I will be forced to make sure it’s done every show,” he insisted.

Mondo couldn’t help but have to do as Ishimaru told him, quickly realizing he wasn’t going to get out of this so easily. Still, he could have fun with it, he figured. The moment they changed positions so that Ishimaru was seated on the floor across from him he pulled Ishimaru into a stretch slip of his own. “Fine. If I gotta warmup with ya then y’ere exercisin’ with me! Got it?” he snapped rudely at him. Ishimaru didn’t give any response.

* * *

 

With a firm, but polite knock on the dressing room door, Ishimaru called out “Miss Gazelle, we’re ready for you to take stage! Ten minutes remaining!” A faint, but excited “Okay,” was heard right before her emerging, towering over him with an honest smile. “Thanks; you did great today! So glad we found you!” Within seconds the show started and chaos ensued. Pre work was one thing, but now having ton constantly directing everyone from dancers to lighting technicians at any given moment was proving to take his breath away faster than anything he had to do in school. There was no time for rest, or recounting anything. Either it was perfect or something could go very wrong. The only break anyone got was after 17 songs and she stepped off stage, waiting for the audience to cheer and demand for the encore they all knew would be happening thanks to the various leaks of the program all over ZooTube. Everything was already in place and ready to go, and the moment she walked back out on stage it felt like it was over.

For just an extra 4 minutes he could relax and breathe as he found himself off to the side, watching as the intro of optimistic chanting began, followed by Gazelle announcing the final song, _Try Everything._ Ishimaru couldn’t help but smile having feeling confident and proud of making it through the first night without any missteps. Cue the shooting water effects and then the backup dancers appeared through a spray of mist before the main chorus happened and were in full spring, Mondo catching half of the crowds, and well as the managers own attention quickly. Something about Mondo was different when he was on stage; as if he was glowing brighter and happier, but maybe that was all part of the act.

The dance routine itself seemed simple enough and as the song continued, Ishimaru began to enjoy the sight from off stage, humming along and eventually trying to copy the tigers’ moves. _Maybe this job won’t be so bad, afterall,_ he convinced himself as the concert finally came to a close. “Alright, Gazelle is finished. Cut the microphones and begin packing up,” he spoke into his head piece cheerfully. With that, the night was over. The cleanup crew had their own manager to work with, so for now, Ishimaru’s duty was done.

* * *

 

“Wait, no! How did that move go again?” Ishimaru muttered to himself as he continued half dancing his way under stage, gathering his things. “Something like…a sidestep?” He really didn’t know. The manager’s body continued to move with very little rhythm, choppy, and unflattering to so the least. Even with his arms half full of equipment and memos for next time he still tried to imitate the dance Mondo and the other’s had done. It looked like a terrible battle animation in some older video game. After he had finally gotten everything packed up he allowed his body to relax and head for the door, waving goodbye to everyone as he went. “Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get to see the other’s do it again tomorrow night, too so- AHH!”

“You’re moving too stiffly. You need to really swaggle your hips more!” Mondo had interrupted Ishimaru in mid-thought when he came up from behind and reached both arms around this hips, forcing him into motion. “See, like this! Get some flow to ya!” He pulled the panther closer to his still half-naked body, not giving him any choice but to imitate his swerving motion. “Just grind back and forth and loosen up!” No effort was spared from Mondo in trying to get Ishimaru to dance properly, right now. In fact, he merely meant to tease him, grabbing him by surprise like this, but now he was having fun with it all. Their new manager could handle the job, but boy was he a terrible dancer, even with a professional pressed up against him, trying to guide his body along.

Maybe it was just the invasion of personal space, but Ishimaru was even stiffer than before, feeling Mondo up against his backside. His strong, sweaty musk invading his nose, and paws clinging to his sides tightly. Ishimaru’s face was pulsing with heat, red, and embarrassed. His tail attempted to stand up, stiff with shock. “Oowada!” he finally snapped when he could step away. “I would ask you to refrain from doing that in the future!” he huffed, facing the tiger. Ishimaru then quickly readjusted his clothes that had gotten wrinkled in the chaos.

Mondo only laughed before stepping closer to Ishimaru again. “Don’t act like you weren’t enjoying yourself! I saw you dancing by yourself earlier,” he teased while giving a light shove against the panther’s shoulder. No response came; probably too choked up to know what to say. He chuckled. For such a stuff, their new manager was proving fun to have around. A smile cracked across his jaw, exposing his fangs a bit as an idea popped into his head. “How about we make a little deal. If you’re going to force me to stretch every night before a show then I’m gonna force ya to practice the dance until you know it, got it?!” There was no chance to respond, as Mondo was already patting Ishimaru on the back and heading on towards his dressing room to finally changed. “See ya tomorrow, Kyotaka!”

Just like that, it was. Ishimaru was left standing alone by the exit after a full shift as stage manager. He had been rushed, drained, and now groped by the first tiger friend he had every had in his life. This was clearly going to one hell of a job.


	2. Detour From the Destination

“Son, you went to school forbusiness and you’re using it to be a...stage manager?” Kyotaka’s dad stared at him from the other side of the FaceTime stream, head tiled slightly and brows furrowed, annoyed and in disbelief. “I mean…it pays the bills for now but is that _really_ what you’re going to for the rest of your life? Traveling with a pop star?” His tone was belittling, not hiding any touch of disappointment. “I thought you worked this hard to be running for office, not for a Mammal Music Award!”

It stung, having to talk about all this, to listen to his father’s disapproval. Ishimaru rubbed a paw over his face, tugging down on his cheeks slightly as if to try and relax himself to. “I-it’s just a temporary job until I can get on the Habitat Board. There’s a lot of opportunities here in Zootopia, still and if not then I still have c-connections in other places; peers I can reach out to,” he lied. Kyotaka had very few connections or friends, having not been the most social person, even in college. Though he had a perfect transcript, lacking in social groups or organizations had proven to be more of a hindrance than he imagined. The younger panther was now stuck in the classic rut of being unable to get the position because of lack of experience, and having no experience because nothing really noteworthy would hire him…save for Gazelle’s management team. “Everything will come together, father. Not every politician had a career without any failures.”

It was the best counter argument he had, and although it was true, there was very little back bone to it, coming from him.

“Yes, but you have a lot on your shoulders with what your Grandfather caused several years ago back in Panther Place; you know that right?” He paused to slightly adjust the position of his phone so that he could whisper. “You chose this career path, now it’s up to you to make something out of it.”

“Yes, sir…”

“Alright. I’ve got head into work, now. We’ve got a case of two missing mammals out here and I’m assigned to one of them. Be sure to keep in touch, son.” With that, he hung up, leaving Kyotaka to wallow in his small apartment.

Ishimaru sat back down on his bed and placed his phone face down bedside him as he hung his head. He reached a paw up to once again stroke his own fur, rubbing atop his scalp, between his ears and curled his tail around to lay across his thigh. Fresh out of college and already a burnout, or so it seemed to him. “It’s only temporary. Everything will get better,” he muttered to himself as he shook his head, aware of his own denial. “Just stay focused and you’ll get back on track!” With that, he stood and looked over himself in his mirror, making sure he was as presentable as he was the previous day. Tonight was the second show of the Tundra Town leg of the tour, and he still had every intention to do it perfectly.

* * *

He was sure to arrive a few minutes early this time so that he could claim space in the storage room for his coat, hat, and scarf. Tundra Town was graced with a permanent winter for arctic species, but once inside the venue, everything was relatively normal. 99% of life had since adapted to be able to survive in environments equal to that of City Center, but that didn’t mean their natural habitat wasn’t the preferred way to be, and so the panther had to deal with traveling through a blizzard to get to work for the next week or two. His breath was hot and heavy, and fur slightly sweaty as he began undressing in the storage room, ears still folded down as that morning’s conversation with his father kept replaying in his head, weighing different things he could have said that might have made it go better, to at least help him understand that Kyotaka wasn’t just taking a dead-beat job because he was lazy or doing a sudden career change!

“Mornin’” a bleak, almost dead voice called from behind. It was one of the other production assistants. “Another day, another disco. Let’s just get this over with! I’m ready for our day off tomorrow!” Without so much as a smile or a glance at Ishimaru, the other quickly changed out of his coat, grabbed his headset and walked out onto the work floor. Ishimaru was left to hang his head and sigh, joyful energy seemed to have been only present yesterday for the sake of his welcome.

After closing his storage locker, Ishimaru proceeded to get himself organized at the equipment station with a headset and his clipboard with a to-do list. “Just follow the same routine as yesterday and everything will be fine. We’ll spend tomorrow searching for a new job for when the tour is over,” he told himself while grabbing an extra battery. He noted there being very little time for side errands such as grabbing things like water or batteries and figured it’d better to be safe than sorry half-way through the show. Just as he got everything together a hearty growl and slightly familiar scent entered the area him, followed by a growl and sudden caress of a certain well-rounded area, causing his tail to spike up.

“What, don’t tell me you’re leavin us already!” a rough, but energetic voice chimed in next to the panther. Mondo smiled teasingly while watching Ishimaru’s jumpy reaction and quickly spinning on his feet to face him. “Typical we finally get someone who can do the job right and they leave right away,” he said with a chuckle as he stepped to the side to one of the empty storage lockers to begin changing. Almost immediately he slipped off his jacket to show he only had a tank top on underneath, which found its way onto the floor just as quickly.

Ishimaru couldn’t help but sputter and stare, slightly shook by the tiger’s sudden actions and casual display of vulgar behavior, or at least he considered it such. The short hairs on his body spiked up with heated glow under his eyelids as he turned away, stiff and embarrassed, not to mention feeling flusstered thanks to Mondo’s “greeting.” He began acting as though he still had business in the storage room, taking occasional glances out of the corner of his eye while Mondo continued undressing. “I-I just…n-no! I’m n-not leaving just yet, Oowada-san! I have promised to stay until the tour is over, but I don’t see myself staying in this industry forever so I…” he voices trailed off as Mondo dropped his pants and turn face him, full frontal.

The tiger stood tall and proud with a raised eyebrow, head tilted to the side and lips curled into a disappointed frown. “Huh? Seriously?! Ya gotta be kiddin’ me!” Mondo raised his voice slightly as he brought a paw up to scratch along the side of his jaw. He ruffled his shoulders to shake his fur up a bit. “Ya caught on to it all so quick. I woulda’ thought you’d stay for at least this and the next one. It pays great, afterall!” The tiger crossed his arms and locked eyes with the panther, observing him intensively as another soft growl left him.

He shivered. Ishimaru remained silent, unsure where to even begin anymore. Most of him was still struggling with the fact that Mondo was so casual with being naked in front of him in such a public space, even if the storage room _did_ double as a changing room. Every patch of fur stood on high end now, tail shooting up again.  “I-I just uh…” he muttered as he allowed eye contact to break. His vision trailed along Mondo’s shoulders and down to his arms crossed over his chest, chiseled and hard. It was clear Mondo’s talent had earned him more than just a career. Then Ishimaru couldn’t help but let his eyes fall further down to gaze at what had been pressing into his rear the previous night during their little dance practice. He blinked frantically, at the sight of Mondo, size matching how it had felt against his backside the other evening. He gulped, finding that all words had escaped him.

“Ya like what ya see?” he teased in a cocky tone, grinning at the other. Mondo had expected something like to happen and had just been waiting for a chance to toy with Ishimaru further. Seeing the panther’s attention snap was all the fun he’d need to get through the day. The tiger ignored Ishimaru’s panicked explanation as he finally dressed himself in his dancer shorts. “Sheesh, if ya need an excuse that badly ta stay then I’ll give ya one after the show, tonight!” he offered as he licked his chops, one hand on his hips as he took in the panther’s more flustered response.

It didn’t matter. Mondo only liked having Ishimaru around at that point because he was fun to mess with. At this point, Ishimaru’s reaction was just background noise. “Whatever,” he said playfully. “You should get there, now. I’ll see ya right before the show for another stretching session with ya, kay?” With a pat on the panther’s back, Mondo stepped out to meet up with the rest of his dance.

Kyotaka turned around as if to try and defend himself but words were caught in his throat as he saw the tiger’s backside. There was a sharp, pink disturbance in his fur, exposing his flesh from his shoulder, almost all the way down to his hip. Had…that scar been there before, he asked himself. Ishimaru wasn’t sure anymore.

His attention snapped yet again as he glanced down at his watch; he was already late.

* * *

The new work day had gone by a lot smoother than the first. Ishimaru had taken care to make his own check list of everything that needed to be done, and had even started to direct Sayaka with a bit more authority. Taking the extra battery had been a smart move on his, even more so for nabbing extra ones for various crew members so no one would have to waste time running back to the storage room. Though tiny, it was an accomplishment he was very proud of. Yet, it was clear the welcome party was over for him. Everyone had returned to what he assumed were their usual attitude for the day which mainly consisted of a lack of patience and manners for anyone else that got in their way of their own station preparations. It was disheartening for him, given that he had thought yesterday’s usual vibe was the regular atmosphere. _I know I’m leaving soon, but I still want to enjoy my time here,_ he kept telling himself.

The panther sighed. With his final rounds and calls made, Ishimaru started double checking with cast and crew that they were in position and ready for show time in thirty minutes. Given the day’s earlier encounter in the dressing area, Ishimaru wasn’t all too surprised to find Mondo waiting for him. It would have seemed that his care had backfired and was now being used as a taunting method. With head hung, Ishimaru approached Mondo to get this over with fast so that they could all have a little down time.

“Hey uh…you okay?” Mondo asked, tense as Ishimaru pressed down on his back until the tiger was touching his toes. He held to position with ease, but his voice was hesitant with a hint of uncertainty.

“Hm?” Ishimaru responded, a little confused by Mondo’s change of tone. He shouldn’t more serious, almost concerned. “Oh, yes! I’m quite well, thank you for asking!” he forced out as he eased up.

Mondo just shook his head and fanned his legs before reaching out again. “No you’re not. You’ve been actin’ all sad and shit ever since ya got here. Somethin’ eatin’ at ya? Come on, you can tell me!”

Ishimaru changed his position so that he was now sitting on the floor in front of Mondo, lets spread as well and helping pull Mondo out further. “It’s…” he swallowed, seconding guessing what he was about to say, more so about who he was talking to. His eyes flickered back and forth as he chose his words carefully. “Just so minor trouble at home. Nothing for you to concern yourself with, really.”

“What? Parents not exactly happy their perfect child is just a stage manager?” Ishimaru had been a huger nerd in school, and it was obvious to the tiger. When he saw Ishimaru’s head shoot up to stare at him he was certain he had nailed the issue right on the head. “Knew it,” he said right before tugging Ishimaru into his on split, (which was rather pathetic. It was also obvious Ishinmaru didn’t exercise every muscle as well as he should have been). “Listen…I can’t claim ta know y’ere whole family and stuff, but…sometimes ya gotta do what’s best for _you,_ even when it’s not what everyone else wants from ya, ya know?” The tiger looked down at Isimaru before switching roles again, taking a deep breath as he spoke calmly. It would be show time, soon. “Ya can’t…ya can’t make everyone around ya happy. But…if ya focus on yourself well then…then at least _your_ happy. I hope it helps.”

Ishimaru gave a weak smile at the tiger and a nod as they let go of each other’s hands and stood. It wasn’t exactly as easy as Mondo was describing it, but Ishimaru could sense his genuine concern for him, and that’s all he cared about for the moment. The atmosphere felt a little lighter now that _someone_ had shown a brighter attitude after such a stressful day. As the panther dusted himself off he gave the dancer a thumbs-up. “Yeah, actually. I…I think I get ya. Thanks, Mondo!”

He nodded in return. “Anytime. I know I’ve been kinda mean ta ya these first few days, but I swear it was just suppose ta be playful jest, ya know? I don’t mind ya talkin’ ta me occasionally so feel free ta get whatever off y’ere chest. We’re friends, after all!”

Friends?! Mondo had actually called him that and it caught the manager off guard. “Y-yeah of course!” he blurted out, far more excited than he intended. His eyes shimmered with enjoyment almost looking as though they were starting to water with emotion.

Mondo just let out a _pffft_ and waved as he started heading the other direction. “You’re a weird one, that’s for sure. I gotta up into the set for the first set, so I’m takin’ off. You should too!” With that, he was gone, leaving Ishimaru alone, excited, and refueled to tackle the rest of night. Before they knew it, the show had already ended and it was time to leave…but not right away.

* * *

“Alright so, just relax and try ta follow along with what I’m doin,” Mondo instructed and he grabbed Ishimaru’s hips from behind just like the previous night. He was tired, and it showed from his heavy breathing, and scent of sweat all over him, even after wiping himself down. “We’ll bring in the arm movements later. Right now, just focus on y’ere lower body,” he panted as he pulled the panther closer into his nearly naked body.

Ishimaru couldn’t help but grow even stiffer with Mondo right behind him like this. The tiger’s fur was soaking wet, no doubt staining the back of his work shirt, and his musk was overpowering with testosterone, but he nodded. “Alright so I just- HEY!” Before he even a had moment to get himself more situated he already felt Mondo tug at his sides for him to move along and rock his body back and forth…which was more like leaning from side for him.

“You gotta add more flow. Spread y’ere legs so they match mine and pop y’ere hips out more!” He moved slowly so that the other could get a hold of himself. A hand sank lower down Ishimaru’s side and pressed into him at every rocking point to try and signal the panther when to thrust his hips out. “Don’t think about it, just let y’ere body loosen up; it ain’t that hard.” They continued repeating the motion until the manager seemed to have gotten the basic idea and had adapted into a new comfort zone. “Alright, now last thing we’re gonna add tonight is a simple leg and pelvis motion. As y’ere moving, try an’ bend your knees and sorta...dip your body.”

“Huh?” Ishimaru was having trouble imagining what Mondo was describing even as the tiger had already started demonstrating behind him.

“Just ya…ya know those things on those giant old clocks that swing back and forth? Try an’ imagine y’ere butt bein’ one of those!”

A pendulum. Ishimaru was supposed to treat his butt like…a pendulum? That was a rather strange comparison, he thought but still he nodded his head and agreed before trying to mimic Mondo’s actions taking place behind him. It was awkward at first, but after a moment he started to rock his hips with more rhythm and charm. He pressed his rear back up against Mondo’s body until they were touching instead of just hovering close together and allowed Mondo’s own body to be a guide for him. “Am I doing it right, now?”

Yes, he was…and that was kind of the problem. Mondo took a deep breath and straightened up a bit when he felt Ishimaru back up against him. Though still rough and sloppy, having Ishimaru’s butt grinding right up against his bulge was slowly proving to be difficult to not get excited over. He was almost naked, body sweaty and pumping with aggression and energy now with someone grinding up on his body. His loins were growing tighter. “Yeah,” he grumbled quietly. Ishimaru didn’t seem to notice, too focused on getting the dance right, and before he could, Mondo took a step back. “That’s it. We’ll practice some more next time,” he declared as he reached a paw up to rid the sweat of his brow.

Ishimaru turned around and smiled at the tiger as he reached behind his neck, stroking his own fur. “So soon? I was…I was actually having fun with that,” he admitted as he took in the sight of the worn-out dancer. He couldn’t tell the state of frustration he had caused for him, dismissing the look on his face as just part of having done a long week of rehearsal and shows. “I’ll try and be able to move faster next time and then we can move on to the other parts, right?” he said, feeling excited over the idea. “It’s actually nice being with you, Oowada-san!”

The tiger only couldn’t help but smile at his manger and nod. A warmth was starting to glow within him, and it wasn’t just because he was over worked. “Yeah…we’ll keep this up, no worries!”

There was a small silence between them, a hesitation of departure. “Uh, h-hey,” Ishimaru finally spoke up. “S-since we’re ‘friends’ now and t-tomorrow is our day off…” he paused, watching as Mondo raised an eyebrow. “…would you maybe like to go out for the day together?” he finally asked. That’s what normal friends did, right? It wasn’t weird to be seen in public with those you were close to, even if you were also co-workers, right? So why was Mondo looking at him so suspiciously? Honestly, Ishimaru wasn’t all too sure what they could even do together but it felt like the appropriate offer to make after everything they had experienced that evening, or so he thought.

“Hmmm…how about…ya give me y’ere number and I’ll text ya if I’m up for it later, kay?” he answered with a sly grin and a waggle of his brow, but the answer was obvious, even to the panther.

“Y-yes! Yes of course. Please don’t trouble yourself if you already have plans. I’ll understand very well!”

* * *

**[Text to Father]:** Had a long day today but…it’s worth it, I feel.


	3. The Day Off

The sounds of urban life hardly disturbed Ishimaru’s train of thought as he stared down blankly over his small café table along the street side. His eyes kept veering at the blank screen of his phone sitting next to his chai tea latte under the umbrella, protecting him from the heat of downtown. Everything that could have been done was already finished for the day. There were only so many job listings Ishimaru could fill out with his experience. For now, he could only hope luck was on his side, and that he’d hear back soon from at least one employer. He had even dressed ready to go in the event he was called into the unlikely job interview that day, in a white button down shirt, black tie, grey dress pants, auburn belt, and matching shoes. With a heavy heart, the panther signed before taking another sip of his drink and reopening his email app to refresh it.

Nothing new, save for the subject lines confirming his applications had been received.

Impatience was clear by the tapping of his foot on the pavement below him and by a claw, etching in a mark on the iron table. Ishimaru was hardly aware of his actions, acting more out of habit than conscience decision. This cycle continued to repeat, checking his phone and then flicking across the screen of his tablet, searching for more job postings across various sites only to see the same ones he had already applied for. What was the point of having a day off if he was only going to spend it alone, worrying about what was out of his control for the moment? As the hour ticked by doubt began to mold its way into the panther’s self-conscience, clouding his judgement until impatience evolved into nervousness and even fear. His tea was getting cold.

“Surprised ta be runnin’ into ya out here like this!” a rough, but cheerful booming voice erupted along with a small trail of panting, bringing Ishimaru out of his depressive trance. “Mind if I sit with ya? I just got done with a run, if ya don’t mind!” Mondo smiled down at the panther and hardly waited for an answer to pull out the other chair across from him and toss his small running bag on the ground beside them. A blended coffee was already in his hand. Clearly he had decided before Ishimaru was capable of even noticing he was present. “What’cha doin’ out here, anyway? Seems like kinda’ a waste of your day off ta just be sitting at a café.”  The tiger could have continued running right past him and knew Ishimaru wouldn’t have noticed him, given how focused the other was on his phone screen, but that was exactly why he had chosen to stop. Anyone passing by could take a glance at the Ishimaru and see the other’s mind was occupied, worrying over something.

“O-Oowada-san?” The panther didn’t have time to react to his coworker demanding his time and attention like this, caught off guard. His eyes shot up to see the tiger already sitting across from him as though he had materialized from nowhere, sweat clinging to his fur and dressed in a black tank top and jogging shorts. As if trying to hide something, he quickly flipped his phone face down on the table, despite its blank screen. Smiles came about him as he tried to appear happier to be bumping into the other in the open like this. “Do you run through here often? I-I didn’t know! I thought you lived over in Canopy Lane! Isn’t that rather far of a run?” Nervous laughter was forced as he reached a hand around to stroke the fur along the back of his neck before quickly taking a long hit from his now lukewarm drink.

Mondo smirked at him and gave a cocky chuckle. “Good guess, but no. I’m  _from_ Conopy Lane, but I moved to the Fruit Market area when I got a place of my own. The place was too humid for my tastes. My folks still livin’ over there, thou.”

“Oh…” Now that he thought about it, Ishimaru hadn’t ever heard Mondo speak that much about his family or time before joining Gazelle’s dance crew. Yet, that seemed reasonable since he had only known the other for a few days. The panther set his cup down, now with no appetite.  _I’ll just pretend it’s empty,_ he thought to himself, despite the cup still more than half full.

“What about you?” Mondo returned the question ad he slurped his own.

“Huh?”

“You. Where are ya staying? What about y’ere family?” It only seemed polite to return the question.

“Oh! I uh…I live around here. Just on Trip Street and thought I’d stop by here while I was walking about.” A lie. He had looked this place up on Safari Finder earlier this morning and came here because of a review saying it was much less crowded than other coffee shops in the area. “But my father still lives in the Meadowlands near High Road, by the river banks.”

“That’s interesting,” Mondo commented. “We live that close ta each other? Why’d ya move all the way out here? Did ya not like the dry air over there or somethin’?”

“N-no. I just moved to be closer to Central City, thinking it’d bring more opportunity since I’d have easy access to the other districts.” Ishimaru’s attitude was somber, almost quiet as he spoke. His eyes kept passing over his phone as if expecting it to vibrate with a call or an email to respond to immediately but nothing was happening.

“Hmm…you’re a bit of a strange one, ya know?”

“Wh-what?!” The panther’s tail shot up for a moment, as he the fur on the back of his neck. His whiskers twitched. “How do you figure?!”

“Well aren’t panther’s like ya suppose ta be a bit more assertive or aggressive? I remember learning about your type in school and how black panthers tend ya be a lot more dominant and stay close ta home most of the time,” Mondo wasn’t thinking as he spoke, toned with confusion and lack of sensitivity even if that wasn’t how he felt. The tiger’s tail swished behind his chair as he continued speaking. “Kinda weird, don’t ya think?”

Ishimaru was hesitant to answer right away, surprised by Oowada’s words. More so, his brain was still focusing on other things. The tiger’s voice echoed in his head repeatedly until it vaguely resembled that of his father, their conversation from the previous morning repeating alongside everything, now. His lips parted, speaking without thinking. “You…sound like my father, almost…” he muttered, earning a raised eyebrow from Mondo, followed by a confused “Huh?” The panther’s head sprung up, looking at the other when he realized what he had just said. “W-wait a second! That’s not what I meant to say! I- uh…”

“What, does y’ere dad not like ya that much? I didn’t mean it like it was a bad thing ‘er nothin’. The hell’s wrong with ya like ya are, now?”

Another shock came over Ishimaru, unsure now of what to answer with. He liked him the way he already was? He hadn’t expected the dancer to tell him something so  _kind_ and honest in such a casual sense. It struck as odd. Though Mondo had been friendly to him up until now, Ishimaru still felt as thou it was still at face value, like it had been just for the sake of the job. The panther remained silent momentarily until the tiger spoke up again.

“Ya wanna maybe talk about it? I don’t really mind listening ta ya.”

“Are…you really sure you want to hear about all that?” he gulped. Kiyotaka had hoped Mondo would decline, try to laugh it off and continue along on his run before too long.

“Nah, ‘s fine, really! I mean…think of it kinda a team buildin’ exercise, whydon’cha? If we understand each other more then we can work together better, right? Ain’t that how stuff like this works?” Mondo’s cool, yellow eyes thinned, peering at his stage manager to try and obtain a definite read on him. A soft growl bubbled from his jaws, encouraging the other to answer.

He was trying to pull the issue of the other….

“My…family isn’t exactly well liked back home in the Meadowlands.” Immediately his first thought was that this wasn’t the best place to start, and Mondo could tell by the ever-lowering spirit in his face, the way he hung his head and kept his eyes fixated on his drink, no longer steaming. “Several years ago my grandfather was the governor or the area…but it didn’t go so well and it caused our family a great deal of debt, most of which still isn’t paid off.” His refrained to looking up to the tiger who had come to relax a tad more, giving Ishimaru is full attention. “We grew up rather poor, so I knew I had to work hard in order to help my parents along. I studied hard and maintained perfect grades…but at the cost of having friends more than anything else……”

He paused, trying to pick his words carefully.

“…father isn’t exactly happy with what I’m doing right now,” he said after a prolonged silence. “You see…thou I am happy enough to be here on Gazelle’s tour, I didn’t go to school for entertainment or management, or anything that relative to it. I studied business and minored in politics in the hopes to be able to reestablish my family’s name in the political world, but…”

Mondo remained silent and raised a brow as he slowly hunched forward, leaning across the table.

“…things just didn’t go as planned.” Ishimaru just kept talking, rambling. The more he spoke the easier he was finding it to open up. Yet his tone remained calm, soft despite his volume being higher than what one would consider appropriate for public outdoors. “…I still have every hope and confidence that I can manage my career. It’s just…a matter of getting even the smallest amount of experience to work with, is all!” The panther looked up after so long and noticed Mondo’s posture. Had he…been focused, really that interested into what he had been spewing out of his mouth that whole time? He had thought for sure the tiger would have eventually started day dreaming, even gotten up and left without him knowing, given that he had chosen to purposely not once look at him the whole time. Yet, there was a sharp look in the other’s eye that still carried concern and even compassion within their yellow tints.

“M’ sorry about that,” he started, grunted as he leaned back in his chair quickly to take a sip of his drink which was now nearly melted. Mondo scoffed for a moment and crossed his arms, a finger tapping along his other arm while digesting all he had heard, and thinking to pick his words carefully this time. “It’s…hard to live up to family names, I know. But that doesn’t mean ya…gotta do it, right?”

Ishimaru looked up again.

“I mean…yeah sure, I get y’ere family name is important to ya, and that’s okay. But…if what you’re wantin’ ta do is makin’ ya miserable an what you got goin’ right now makes ya happy then does it really matter all that much? I…never knew my father so I can’t say from experience, but I’d like ti imagine that y’eres would be able ta git over it at some point, right?”

“…did you ever have to live up to your family’s name?”

“Kinda…I….” he gulped, suddenly straightening up. “I used ta have a brother but…he died a long time ago and after that I had to take his place as the head of the group he ran. But after so long, I kinda just…felt bad doin’ it, and realized I was only there because he was gone...so I left and eventually found myself on Gazelle’s crew. Guess you could say things got a bit easier for me because of it.” That was all he was willing to say on the matter. The tiger quickly downed the rest of his melted coffee slush and stretched while standing, yawning all the while. “Hey…what do ya say we hang out the rest of the day? Come on, sittin’ here ain’t gonna solve y’ere problems so let’s have some fun. We don’t get a day off that often, right?”

“W-wait!” Mondo wasn’t even giving him the chance to continue the previous topic. “B-but what if someone emails me? I want to make sure I can respond as quickly as-”

“If they do then it’’’ be waitin’ in y’ere inbox for ya when ya get home tonight, right? So come onnnn! The day is still young we got time to kill.”

Ishimaru remained silent for a moment, checking the lock screen on his phone and then refreshing his email app yet again. Empty. “I…guess it’d be nice to have someone show me more around the city. I never really ever left the Meadowland, save for annual class trips.”

“That’s the spirit!” he cheered as he grabbed his back and crushed the plastic cup in his paw. A wide grin showed off his sharp teeth as his ears perked up. “Ya’ve been so sheltered, it sounds like ya just need someone ta show ya how to have some fun. So let’s get a move on. Anywhere ya wanna go?”

The panther thought for a moment, running around the city in his head for someplace that he knew was close by. “N-nothing too wild, please,” he insisted as he stood up and adjusted his glasses. “Let’s just go somewhere casual, like a park, okay?” Quickly, he gathered up his cup and used napkins to place in a nearby trash can.

“Seriously? We’re in the largest mammal operated city in the world and you wanna spend your day off in the park?” Mondo couldn’t help but chuckle as he followed suit. He grabbed his jogging bag and threw it over his shoulder again before grinning at the other. “Alright, fine. I wanted another run, anyway! So let’s get goin’! It’s really nice there in the summer time, anyway.”

* * *

 

They both looked like they didn’t belong together in the slightest. Seeing a black panther out of their natural home was odd enough, but wandering with a friend, and a tiger no less was still rather uncommon, and earned the two occasional second glances and stares as the day trailed on. It didn’t help by the fact that Ishimaru dressed so sharply, yet paired with someone in a tank top and jogging shorts.

The two were hardly capable of paying anyone much mind as energy quickly became focused on each other, on the beautiful scenery around them. The blue sky faded away into an orange and yellow gradient that blanketed the entire city before long and the two sat together on a park bench. A cool breeze tickled, ruffled the shorter tuffs of fur on the two. “So, was that good enough for ya?” Mondo grinned over at Ishimaru as he shoved him by the shoulder. “It’s just a park. I don’t see what the big deal it is to ya, but I hope it was what you were expecting.”

Mondo glanced over to the panther beside him, whiskers flickering as he gulped. “Uh hey…about what you were sayin’ earlier…I want ya to know I meant what I said.” The more he spoke the further his tone dropped, voice deepening. “I know y’ere family’s important to ya, but you also gotta think about y’ereself, don’cha?” A paw reached behind his head to stroke the back of his neck fur, claws lightly digging into his skin to scratch at nothing. “I just…want ya to know that we  _do_ like havin’ ya on the tour, and if wanna stay then you should, but…you leavin’ should be somethin’ you do because it’s what’s ya want, too is all….”

For the moment, the panther felt as though this day was more of a blessing in disguise. Just a simple day spent in the park, making small talk with his tiger friend had been enough to lift his spirit from the cloud of guilt and desperation that had hovered over him the past few days. Ishimaru held his gaze out over through the maintained wildlife within the park, enjoying the cool air and the warm remains of sunlight peeking through the thickets at them both. If only this moment could last forever, he thought.

He smiled over at Mondo just before the tiger had started to kill the light-hearted mood with the return to their previous topic back at the coffee house. Yet, he didn’t feel despair or the previous sense of guilt come over him like before. The way Mondo was speaking, the nervous habits he displayed: Ishimaru could read them all as genuine concern and well wishes he was trying to convey. He cleared his throat before finally answering. “Oowada-san…when I first met you I thought you could be odd, and a bit more evasive than I was comfortable with, but…I must admit that I was wrong about you.” Slowly, he turned his head to be able to look the tiger in the eye. “You are very kind and I’m glad we got to enjoy each other’s company today.”

Maybe…this was okay for right now. He looked over to Mondo once more and smiled silently again. He thought back to what he had said earlier about his late brother, about taking his place at work. Come to think of it…Mondo hadn’t ever said what kind of work he had done so long ago. He’d have to ask about it some other time when it felt more appropriate, he decided. Right now wasn’t the time, anymore. Still, it was clear the tiger had  _some_ idea of what he was trying to talk about.

 _‘I…I can’t let my family down, but for the moment it may be that I am in too much of a hurry to achieve my goals. Perhaps Oowada-san is correct….’_ He glanced down along the bench to see both of their paws between them, only a few mere inches away from each other’s. The heated feeling of blush came over his face again, and he quickly turned his eyes back to the sunset, blocked by the plant life.  _‘Let’s try and give myself patience, at the very least, and focus on the job I DO have for now.’_

A tiger paw came down softly over the panther’s on the wood, giving it a firm, reassuring squeeze. The two remained seated, staring off ahead for only a moment longer before Mondo was the first to stood up, shivering. “Come on. It’s gettin’ late. The train’s won’t be runnin’ for much longer….”


	4. Sharing is Caring

Another day, another show about to start. The sooner this was over the fewer days they’d be spending in Tundra Town and finally move on to the Savannah Central leg where the climate would be much more suited for most of the cast and crew. The attitude of everyone was begrudging, to say the least, ready to leave the cold, but there was still an underline gratitude given that the backstage area was heated for them. The dance, being as naked as possible, continued to be the more chipper folk among them all.

“Hey, Mondo?” Ishimaru’s voice was hesitant, but not afraid to speak up. As the tour continued, the panther and the tiger and continued their little shared ritual of stretching together before curtain call, sometimes for as long as a full hour. Neither would admit it, but they were enjoying each other’s company a little more every day. Today was no exception, and so Ishimaru leaned forward to push Mondo’s back into a lunge until he was grabbing his feet with both paws. “Can I ask you something?”  he finally began.

The tiger only chuckled through his fangs and he held his pose on the floor. His eyes shifted as he turned his head, looking back at the panther. “What? Forgot where the bathroom is, or somethin’? What is it?” He exhaled as he brought himself back to sitting upright and then lunged forward again.

A dull claw came down along Mondo’s fur, scratching him, more so tickling at his spine as if to try and keep the mood light until it fell on a certain area Ishimaru hard made a note of the last time he had seen the dancer’s naked backside. “How did you get this scar?” He had theorized a number of possible answers each one more harmless than the last. If anything, Ishimaru was expecting Mondo to say he fell off a high ledge or something during his first major dance rehearsal or something similar. Yet…he could feel the shift in Mondo’s aura almost immediately. He had brought of something the other didn’t like to talk about, and it was obvious by the shorter fur patches standing up all around the scar tissue and exposed skin.

“Erh…y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to! I was ju-”

“I got into a motorcycle accident a long time ago.”

Mondo sat back up to quickly fan his legs out and begin stretching from side to side, leaving Ishimaru in silence for a moment.

“…oh. I-is that it? I mean…it looks really bad, but I suppose it’s healed a lot over the years am I correct?” He wasn’t sure if his partner was trying to end the conversation short with so blunt an answer or not, and so he pressed on but with caution behind every question he asked. Ishimaru quickly moved to sit in front of the tiger on the floor, mirroring his position with legs spread wide. A promise was a promise: he’d stretch with him, even if he wasn’t the one going on stage.

Mondo nodded after a moment, pushing his brows together for a moment. “Yeah. It don’t hurt or nothin’ really. Most’a the time I forget it’s even there. Hell, you shoulda seen the other guy. I walked outta there pretty lucky, if ya ask me.” A nervous chuckled followed suit as he continued lunging from side to side until he felt he had had enough of this. Mondo reached both paws out for Ishimaru to take as he edged his way closer until their feet were touching.

“How on earth could the other person been in a worse state than you? You were hit by a car, weren’t you?” Ishimaru’s brows were raised in surprise and confuse, unsure if Mondo’s comment as a joke or not. He tried to remained focus, following Mondo’s lead as they spoke and pulled on the tiger’s paw, guiding him forward until he could touch the ground. Then they’d switch, the panther being pulled forward and then back again.

“Nah…he was on a bike too…and he died because’a it….”

“…oh.” Ishimaru tensed up, and froze for just a moment. He looked up at Mondo, blinking. “A-are you okay? I mean I-I bet that had a great impact on you back then so I am curious if you’ve been- ”

“Can we not talk’a ‘bout this anymore, please?”

They were silent for the rest of their time spent together until curtain call.

As the show ran its routine program Ishimaru couldn’t help but feel guilty. He replayed the few words exchanged over in his head, wondering if there was something he had missed during their conversation. Had the accident really been that traumatizing for Mondo that he didn’t like talking about it? Maybe there was something else to it that he just hadn’t told him, yet, or a connection he wasn’t making. The more Ishimaru thought about it the more he became worried he had truly upset the other….

* * *

 

With the show over Ishimaru was now kicking back in the usual area he would meet Mondo. Though he was feeling his way around the floor, practicing the dance moves Mondo had taught him, his mind was still occupied with worry and concern. He was so distracted that is ‘dancing’ looked more like he was just swaying about all the while stepping in random directions with his eyes locked on the floor. Arms weren’t even moving in tune.

“Erh, s-sorry,” he said as he was shoved aside by a crew member carrying an arm of various props out to the moving van. The other mammal was already gone before he had even realized how much of a nuisance he was being. The panther had lost his balance, sent falling to the cold floor until he was caught in someone’s grip.

“Yo? You fallin’ asleep or somethin’?” Mondo’s casual voice chimed as he helped his manager back to his feet.

“Of course not! My bedtime isn’t for another two hours,” he corrected quickly as he straightened up, readjusting his dress shirt and glasses. “I was j-just distracted, is all at um-” he pauses to dart his eyes about the area to find something to shove the blame on. “-that!” he pointed in the direction he was staring, tho there was nothing usual about a clothes rack, already boxed and ready to be shipped off to the next venue.

Mondo raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Ishimaru, not buying his fabrication for a moment. “Okay, sure,” he huffed before wiping his face and bare shoulders with a sweat rag. “Well…if you’re done worry about Gazelle’s costumes don’t you and I got somethin’ ta do now?” He didn’t wait for an answer and spun the panther around and pulled him close. His chest pressed up against the other’s back, and pelvis into his rear.

“Alright now where we left off; do you remember the hand motions I taught ya?”  Mondo took hold of each of Ishimaru’s wrist and aligned their arms to his own, forcing him to mimic his motions. “When y’ere doin’ this…this uh…circular motion with ‘em in front of ya…” he paused between words to show him what he was talking about, guiding him. “Y’ere suppose ta kinda swirl y’ere body. It’s kinda the same motion, but instead’a doin’ it up and down ya do it in and out sorta style. Imagine y’ere alternating pushin’ y’ere torso and y’ere hips around and about like this….” It was a bad way of phrasing it, but Mondo’s demonstration and puppet-esc style of teaching more than made up for his lack of verbal communication skills. He knew exactly how to use every muscle in his body to push Ishimaru in the right direction.

“I-is this right?” He was always stiff to start off once they began, but the more it went on the quicker he fell into the flow of things, learning there was little point in fighting against what the _real_ dancer was teaching him. Ishimaru just had to follow along as best he could until everything finally made sense, and it usually did by the end of the evening. The main trick he had learned is that so long as their bodies remained in close contact during motion he would usually pick up the movement at a faster pace. Getting it to all flow right with the rhythm was where most of the practice came in. Right now, he was moving with the grace of rusty brick.

“Um…you...got the idea. Now just get the flow of it. Try ta imagine y’ere body’s like water? Or…imagine that it’s ALL water and not just a high amount’a it.”

It continued for several minutes, slowly becoming more fluid and natural with every attempt. For a stiff manager, Ishimaru really knew how to let himself go if given enough room to do so. “Alright now let’s try and put everythin’ ya’ve learned ta’gether! Come on, take it from the top! I’m right behind ya! GO!” It was still sloppy, but it was enough to get Mondo’s blood pumping, having Ishimaru grinding up against him, sometimes even slamming against his crotch. A rough, aggressive growl came from the tiger as his paws gripped tighter around the panther’s hips, claws poking at him.

Ishimaru froze momentarily before continuing at a slower pace. “A-am I doing something wrong?”

His words were enough to grab Mondo’s attention, again. He released himself, restraining his natural instincts. “N-no. Keep goin’,” he directed as he took a step back. Mondo took a deep breath to keep himself under control and tried to step away to watch how Ishimaru moved without a guide. It…was far from presentable but at least he had memorized the pattern of everything.

“Hmm…not bad. We’ll keep workin’ on it until you can do it as good as any of the backup dancers!” he commented with a smirk as he stretched his arms up. “We should get goin’. Wanna take the train together? Just wait for me to change outta this…outfit.” It could hardly be called that when all the tiger dancers were were low cut shorts that left nearly nothing to the imaginations.

Ishimaru nodded. He was happy to have finally memorized the dance in its entirety, even if his movements were still stiff. This just meant with enough practice he’d be able to master it. Who knows, maybe even join Mondo on stage before the end of the tour! Okay, that was imagining too much, but it was a thought that brought a smile to the panther’s jaw, showing his teeth. “I can wait,” he said cheerfully. “I think I have some paperwork I need to sign for the moving trucks, anyway. Just come find me when you’re ready to leave.”

They waved to each other as they parted ways and met up shortly after at the backstage entrance before making their way to the train station, walking side by side all the while. Mondo didn’t seem to have much of a wardrobe to Ishimaru, because all he ever saw the tiger in was his stage costume in work out clothes consisting of tank tops and gym shorts and right then was no exception.

Mondo glanced around as the walked; they were alone, save a few nameless fans fanning out in different directions, most going in the opposite direction towards the venue in the hopes of catching Gazelle as she left for an autograph or a photo. There was more than enough distraction around for them both, and so the tiger nudged his paw over into the panther’s and kept walking without a second thought. This earned a concerned look and flinch from the panther, even more so when he gripped even tighter, squeezing the other’s paw in his own. “Don’t worry,” he grumbled as he kept his eyes forward. “No one will care.”

Ishimaru remained silent for a moment, hesitating to respond at all before finally just giving a small nod and readjusting himself so he could better grip between the tiger’s fingers. He wasn’t sure what to exactly think of all this. Were…they dating now? Or was Mondo just this kind of mammal? Regardless, the further they walked, the warmer he felt despite the piercing tundra surrounding them. He glanced over to see the tiger shivering beside him, not properly dressed. How long of a walk was the train station, again?

* * *

 

The train ride was quiet at first, moving slowly between every platform from the far corner of Tundra Town, but the atmosphere was a lot lighter than it had been. Energy was the only lacking as the tiger and panther sat side by side, paws still connected. At least it was warmer inside the train car. Another glance over at Mondo he Ishimaru saw he was no longer shaking. In fact…he appeared to have fallen asleep, but a quick shake was all it took to wake him back up.

“Hey,” Ishimaru finally spoke up, nearly whispering to his friend.

“Hm?” he answered, eyes half open. He pulled his paw from Ishimaru’s to rub his face, pulling at his cheeks and eye lids until he felt himself more focused. “What’s up? Did we miss our stop?”

“No. I…I want to apologize about earlier.” Mondo couldn’t tell, but Ishimaru’s voice held a dash of worry and concern in it, just like before. He was hesitant to say much else, but the panther felt it was necessary before they had to part ways again.

“Huh? What are ya’ talking about?”

He gulped, keeping his eyes on the floor between his feet, or averting his gaze to the digital route map on the car wall across the way from them. “I just sort of feel as though I really upset you in asking you about your scar earlier tonight.” He paused to swallow, feeling his mouth go dry for a moment. “I could tell you weren’t really happy when I brought it up but I didn’t stop until you were clearly upset. So…please forgive me, Oowada-san.”

The train came to a stop and opened its doors. This late at night, hardly anyone was getting up public transport, and if they were they were avoiding everyone they didn’t recognize. It was no exception when only a single rhino stepped into the car and took a seat at the other far end as the train continued.

 After a long, tense silence, Mondo hunched forward, leaning his forehead against the back of the empty seat in front of them. His jaws opened as if ready to speak but not words came from him, at least not right away. He just breathed, loud and heavy with his pawss folded in his lap, now. Normally when one finally told a secret it made the room feel lighter, like a weight was off everyone’s shoulders, but not this time. He could feel it from the panther sitting next time, confusion and disbelief as all the dots finally connected. “The truth is…my brother died in a motorcycle accident.”

Ishimaru was shocked. “Wh-what? Wait a minute! You don’t mean to tell me that you kill-”

“No!” Okay, he had guessed wrong. Ishimaru hadn’t connected all the dots in the correct way. “At least…I didn’t mean to. He gave his life to save me from an oncoming car. It was my own recklessness that got him killed.” Mondo’s tongue was sharp, voice harsh and rough as he spoke, and filled with anger that he was even saying this. “We…we were in a motorcycle gang and he was our leader but…he died ‘cause of me….”

“Oh…” That was all he could say at first, needing a moment to let it all sink in. Mondo had been in a biker gang? His brother was the leader? It almost sounded fake, but why would he lie? He had nothing to gain, no reason from doing so to him. Then he remembered what he had been told the other day when they were having coffee together. He turned his head, staring over at Mondo he kept himself hunched forward. “W-wait a second! Then that means that you became…you were…”

The tiger nodded. “…yeah. I took over after that for him….” There was another pause. “…and I left because I want to be in the gang anymore. He always kept tellin’ me ta keep it alive, ta promise not ta let the Crazy Diamonds fall apart, but…I couldn’t keep that promise to him in the end.”

Another train stop, and no new passengers got on. They had only a few stops to go before they were to part ways, and now Ishimaru had put a terrible mood about them. He wanted to try and end this properly before it was too late, feeling as thou everything he had worked hard for was falling apart thanks to just a few questions! The manager hadn’t meant to cause any discomfort or shame to his friend, not like this.

Ishimaru took a breath before cautiously proceeding. He reached a paw over, taking hold of Mondo’s. “It…sounds like maybe you could take your own advice,” he began. “I mean…you’ve told me at least twice since we met that it’s better to do what makes you happy, right? You’re here now, and you’re doing what makes you happy. Can you really keep beating yourself up over what happened years ago?”

“Yeah, but…I made a promise to him.” Mondo’s paw squeezed the other’s as he crunched his face together. He tilted his head, glancing over at the panther out of the corner of his eye. There was softness he could make out in them, his yellow eyes trying to get through to him, to comfort him.

“I made a promise to myself and my family name. What’s the difference?”

“He’s dead! I’m reason he died. I owe it to him.”

“Yeah, but you’re alive! You can’t let something like that drag you down for the rest of your life. Can you really say that’s what your brother would have wanted?”

Silence fell upon them yet again as the train reached its next stop. One more to go and then they’d have to separate. He’d have to act fast if he wanted to really make sure Mondo understood that he was only trying to have his best interest at heart. “I just...want you to see what you already see in everyone else. I want you to see yourself how you sometimes see me. So…you left the gang behind. But…you gained your life. So take this second chance and use it to show you didn’t make the wrong decision!”

Mondo’s eyes opened wide for a moment at those final words, but then quickly shrank back as he averted his gaze back to the floor. The train kept moving, approaching it’s final stop, and as it did so, Mondo just continued to clench and unclench Ishimaru’s paw until finally, “…I guess you’re right.”

The train finally halted and the automated announcement was made, telling passengers the connection lines, followed by Mondo standing up. “Let’s go. This is our stop, isn’t it?”

They left any remaining tension inside the car as they existed onto the platform and made their way to the upper level where the Red Line and Purple Line were, hand in hand again. It seemed Ishimaru had done his job. As the reached the final dividing point the two mammals wavered around each other as if not wanting to let go just yet. Ishimaru looked over at the tiger, grinning at him, considering his eyes once more. “O-Oowada-san, I’m glad you are here with us, now. You may not know it, but you truly do bring life to those around you and I…” he paused, not even sure of what he was trying to say. He was just saying whatever came to mind, now. “…I hope you’ll see that in yourself, too.”

Mondo shrugged momentarily before letting out a chuckle. “Ya turnin’ my own words against me. That ain’t fair of ya.” His voice sounded with nothing but contentment. He reached his other paw up and rested it on the other’s shoulder. “See ya tomorrow, Kyotaka-kun,” he said as he leaned forward. Their lips connected without any hesitation from either of them. Ishimaru’s other paw found its way alongside the tiger’s side, holding onto him as he titled his face to the side for a better angle.

Tails flickered behind both of them as they remained standing, sharing a moment of affection and care until they couldn’t breath and finally let go of each other.

“Yeah…see you tomorrow, Mondo-kun.”

The train horns sounded. It was time for them to go their separate ways for the night.


	5. Dodging Bullets; One At a Time

 

The morning sunlight held a calming glow to it, despite how hot it had become in the passing week. Even Tundra Town was experiencing hardships in not melting away. And Ishimaru was enjoying every minute of it, more than happy to embrace the warm weather being given as he was driving to the venue. Keeping his focus on the road it a little easier for him to talk on the phone when he was nervous, even more so about things he didn’t like discussing. His phone was synced up to his car’s Bluetooth, father on the other end of the line.

“It’s been a fun few weeks, believe it or not. But it’s supposed to all be over today. Tonight’s the last show for the Tundra Takeover Tour and then they’ll all heading off to the summer festivals and overseas shows in the winter.” Ishimaru’s attention remained on his driving, causing his voice to be almost robotic and uninterested in anything they were talking about.

“That’s good to hear. So you’ve found a new job to start, I take it?”

“Well…no, but there are still several people I’ve not heard back from yet, so there is still a possibility. If not, Gazelle’s management team have already asked me to stay on board with them. So, I have an option to fall back on if nothing happens soon!”

“Is that so..?”

Ishimaru glanced at his dashboard, as if he would see his father’s face there on the main screen even if he knew he wouldn’t. He could already picture a condescending, questioning look to match the tone of his voice. A hard swallow occurred in his throat as he looked back to the road. “Y-yeah! I mean why not if I don’t have anything else going on? It’s work and it pays well. Better to have any job than no job at all, right?”

“Son, this isn’t what you worked so hard for, is it? You don’t have to go to college for 5 years in order to be a damn stage manager!”

His father’s words pierced right through him, and then crushed him as though a building and been dropped on his skull. Ishimaru came to a red light and halted his vehicle. He couldn’t get to the venue fast enough, he thought. “Well…no, it wasn’t but nothing is coming up. I’d rather just keep working something that’s at least paying the bills than be stuck in unemployment. How am I going to support myself? A-afterall, Zootopia wasn’t built in a day so why would my career be any different?!”

There was a long silence from his father’s side. Ishimaru was picturing him pinching the bridge of his nose and hunched over on his desk at his own job, thinking of how foolish his son was sounding. When he finally spoke, the younger panther gripped tightly to the wheel to brace himself. “Son…you can’t make a living in the entertainment industry. If I don’t get a job I think you should just move back home until something turns up. That’s what’s best. I can put you to work in the police station doing something in the record’s department or something.”

“Move…back home?” The very idea felt like he was just admitting defeat, accepting failure. Yet Ishimaru didn’t feel like he was failure. As a matter of fact, he felt like everything had been going well, given his situation and outcome over the last two months. It felt as though his father was insulting his ability to take care of himself, and it angered him. “I…thank you, father, but I think I can do this. I don’t want to burn bridges to opportunities I may very well want to consider and take.”

Another silence, this one not nearly as long. “Well maybe you should really listen to what I’m telling you. I’ve had more experience than you so maybe I actually _know_ a thing or two more than you!” His tone was sharper, more aggressive and threatening.

Ishimaru remained silent, frozen in how to even respond.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Think about what I’ve said.”

* * *

 

As Ishimaru made his usual rounds of the venue, everything seemed to be just in order. Since starting, the panther and really grown into the job, even starting to feel more at home. There was now a spirit about him that he was lacking in his starting days, and as a result he had since become more personable. He smiled and waved over to Kaito, a kola, up high in the one of the light towers, adjusting the set. “Are you okay? Do you require anything such as extra filters?” He called out.

“We’re okay. Just need to make a few adjustments to the brightness and we’ll all done. _Star Oddity_ is going to be a killer number tonight, just you wait and see!”

It was like this with mostly everyone, now.

He kept making his way through each department, smiling all the while and having a tiny chat with everyone who wasn’t too busy. Yes, it was certainly starting to feel like home…just in time for him to leave. His employment agreement was for the remaining dates of the tour, after all. He was about to travel for the summer festival dates, let alone the international shows for the remainder of the year! Ishimaru had already decided that it would be too taxing for what he had in mind for himself. There were his own goals in mind, after all but there was still a piece of them that was sad to see it end so soon. The job was just starting to feel like home….

While getting lost in his train of thought, the panther had noticed a certain tiger sneaking around him until it was too late. A paw gave him a firm pat on his rear with a low, happy growl coming from behind. The panther groaned softly as he looked around, making sure no one was around…or least staring at them, knowing all too well who it was. The coast was clear. He paused, and then chucked when his friend didn’t stop his actions. “Mondo-kun…sexual harassment like this is prohibited. Do you want to be fired?”

“Morn’in, babe!” Mondo said cheerful with a cocky grin across his jaw, showing all his teeth. The tiger had completely ignored what the other had said and just spun him around so they could face each other. “Everyone knows you’d never fire me. That’s why I can get away with it,” he teased right before putting both arms around the panther’s shoulder, tail swishing about behind him.

Ishimaru could only smirk as he reached one arm up and patted the half naked tiger on his back. “Yes, I suppose you are correct in those regards,” he growled back, more so purred. “You excited? Today’s the last show of the Tundra Tour!”

There was _short_ pause before Mondo nodding at him. “Yeah. Man, we need a break, already, ya feel me? I’m glad for the job and the money, but dancin’ six nights a week has been killer on my back. Same goes for the rest of the dance crew, too!”

“Well after today we can all just relax for a month or so. We should go the beach before it gets too crowded. How about that?” Ishimaru said with a smile.

“Sounds perfect to me!” There was another pause, this one lasting longer. Mondo’s body relaxed, sinking down into the panther. He squeezed him last time before letting go. The tiger cleared is throat as he looked down at the panther and smiled nervously. “So uh…I know this is gonna be y’ere last gig with us and all but uh…crazy idea some’a us had….why don’t ya stay?!”

“What?!” Ishimaru blinked.

“Come on, man! We all love havin’ ya around, and ya actually do y’ere job well! Come along for the summer festivals, at least! Hell, we can see the whole world together if you stay through the Winter Tour in Zoopan and Zoorope. What do ya say, huh? Be apart of the Gazelle’s crew already! They can write up a new contract for ya tonight if ya want!”

He didn’t know how to react to this. Yes, he had _considered_ the idea of such, but that’s all it had been. Ishimaru didn’t have any plans to remain a stage director for more than what was necessary some quick job experience. “Did…did they _ask_ you to ask me this?”

“Well, yeah b-but I want ya to stay, too! For real, Ishi, please! We’re all beggin’ ya here.” He paused again, racking is brain for something more to say. “Listen, we know you got other plans in mind but if you still don’t got a new gig lined up then why not ride this out for all it’s worth? Hell, maybe after you can add international travel and management to your resume or whatever it’ll open up more doors for ya later on! That makin’ any sense to ya?”

Ishimaru had to admit it. Mondo did have a point in what he was saying, especially the last note. International work experience said a lot on anyone’s resume, even more so for someone trying to break into politics. At a glance, it sounded like the best thing to do, seeing as his inbox was still empty from anyone he had applied to. He couldn’t last for very long if he didn’t get a job offer soon…….

“I’ll consider it, alright?” he finally spoke up.

The small look of relief on Mondo’s was all the panther needed to smile back again. “Okay. I’ll accept that for now,” he said calmly before finally removing his hold on the him. “I’m gonna go warm up with the crew. See ya after the show, same as always?”

“Same as always.”

“Great. See ya. Then.” Mondo quickly glanced around and then kissed Ishimaru on the lips. “A quick one for good luck,” he beamed before taking off, leaving the other there, stiff and flustered.

 

* * *

 

Remaining setup procedure went as smoothly as normal. Lighting was all set to go, setlist was taped everywhere on stage needed, and the dance crew had stretched. With only a few minutes before show time, everyone was now gathering around backstage, smiling and chatting all about as Gazelle stepped out of her dressing room, ready go to. A champagne glass was in everyone’s hand, bubbling and bright.

“I now it’s a little early to celebrate, but I figured we’d all be too tired after this to want to do anything else,” Gazelle said, followed by a small giggle. She raised her glass high. “A toast: to the final show of the Tundra Tour. A toast to all the dancers, the light crew, sound check, producers, promoters, transporters, and everyone who made every show possible. I know it’s my name and my music they people came here for, but I know I wouldn’t be able to do any of this own my own. I cannot thank you all enough for your hard work, and tonight will be a grand finale, won’t it? CHEERS!”

“CHEERS,” everyone said together as they clinked their glasses about with each other.

Ishimaru had remained closed to Mondo and the rest of the dance crew the entire time, chatting about. Though the leader of the crew was the one he was closest to, the panther had come to really be happy with the other cast and crew. It was like they had all formed a happy little family with one another over the full month they had been performing together, and created magic. All that was left was to close out and enjoy a much-needed vacation. Ishimaru downed his glass quickly and set it on the refreshment table.

As soon as everyone began to disperse he noticed something out of place, something he must have just missed during his last run over thing. A costume rack with the last a few outfits they’d need for the middle set of the show. He shrugged before calling over whoever was in charge of costume and props to go about his final check list and then suddenly an ominous sound. His heart sank, feeling as though a weight ad just pulled right out through his rear. Dare he turn around and see proof of all his hard work being _shredded_ in one flashing moment?

It was ten minutes to until curtain call. Everyone had seen…and now everyone was snagged in blend of confusion and panic seeing Gazelle’s stage outfits torn, caught on a stage hook as the rack was being wheeled away. Ishimaru couldn’t help but feel like this was his fault, like if he had just done it himself he would have somehow noticed the hook and been able to prevent all this to start with. He couldn’t change what had already happened, but he’d be damned if this final show was a bust over a few ripped dresses or damaged props. Quickly, he jumped in.

 

“Wh-which outfits are damaged? Do we have a seamstress on hand tonight?” Ishimaru couldn’t sew, himself, but he was capable of management at the very least. He nodded, quickly noting which dresses would need repairs, and what song they were needed for. “Everyone, quick! Gather around!” he ordered as he grabbed hold of one of the backstage setlist copies. Swiftly he pulled out a red pen from his shirt pocket and a little notebook he carried with. “Everyone, here’s what we’re going to do…..” He was nervous, scribbling in his notebook, circling track numbers and drawing arrows in every direction until he felt like it was a good enough plan had been pieced together, and when he was done, he presented both sheets of paper for everyone to see and compare.

The track order had been altered in an oddly confusing line up, but one that should be possible to pull off so long as everyone followed suit. They’d just have to time everything according with stage decoration and costume changes, not just for Gazelle but the dance crew, as well.

“Alright…here’s what I have! If we rearrange the songs accordingly then we should be able to repair their corresponding dresses in time before each song needs to be performed. We just have to stall for time and maybe stretch out the transition between acts. Take a minute or two to breathe.”

Then he pointed to his little addition by the encore line as he turned his attention towards Mondo, standing close by. “M-Mondo! Do you think you and your dancers can work something out? Do literally anything to try and stretch out the encore wait if we need just a few more minutes?” There was desperation in his plea, yet not any guilt as to say Mondo _had_ to agree to such if he didn’t want to. The panther’s face was soft, waiting patiently and watching as Mondo bit down on his lower lip.

“…I suppose we can if we stretch out the gaps between tracks for a smaller breather or two,” he finally said as he nodded.

There was little time for much argument, even if they detailed the show start time. Gazelle quickly stepped forward and grabbed the new setlist off the wall before looking back to Ishimaru. “You…you sure this will work?” she asked, hesitantly. The second Ishimaru responded she just nodded back. “Okay then let’s get this new setlist pasted everywhere it needs to be and make sure everyone knows about the changes!” She turned back towards the crew before her. “Everyone, we need to stay on our toes tonight! If you aren’t performing then quickly take a photo of the new setlist with your phone and let’s get to work. And someone…stage a light malfunction and restart the stage intro. That’ll stall an extra 2 or 3 minutes!"

 

* * *

 

It was utter chaos, seeing everyone run around to try and make this possible. Everyone was being informed of the sudden changes, the reason behind it, their impulsive resolution. Ishimaru was starting to think that maybe this wasn’t the best idea they could have come up with, had they just thought about it all for another moment. He gulped, feeling his own confidence in his management skills plummeting. “Maybe…it really will be best to not stay afterall,” he muttered under his breath as he began gathering up the garnets and the clothes rack. There was not time to cancel. He needed to get these all to their costume department for repairs.

There was a sudden jerk on his shoulder, forcing him to turn around as he was getting ready to leave. The panther flinched, blinking to see Mondo towering over him with a stern, serious, almost furious look on his face. The tiger’s brows were hunched together and claws poking up from his fur, scratching into Ishimaru’s shoulder. A light rumble could be felt, coming from the growl Mondo was holding in his throat. “Don’cha back down on us, now, damnit. You didn’t cause the issue, but y’ere handlin’ it. See it through to the end, damnit! You ain’t a fuckin’ quitter!” Mondo’s words pounded into Ishimaru’s ears with aggression like a threat more so than encouragement.

Ishimaru gulped once more, this time remaining still. The way Mondo was talking almost reminded him of…a part of his father that he never liked. It was like their numerous phone calls in his car over the past month staring him in the face with the eyes of someone he had grown so attached to, from someone he had found to be a source of comfort. The fur on the back of his neck started to rise. Ishimaru was _afraid_ of Mondo for a moment, wanting to just vanish. Literally anything to get him out of this kind of situation would be heaven sent or-

“I’ll see you after the show. Hit up my ear piece if ya need me for anythin’ at all during the ballad portion of the show. I promise I’ll come runnin’.” And there it was. Mondo ran off to rejoin the other dancers for the starting number.

They had roughly 90 minutes to fix 4 outfits in the midst of a chaotic storm and now Ishimaru was caught up in the costume department helping them cut fabrics, place needles and ready sewing machines to get the job done in record time. He didn’t know anything about using a sewing machine, but he knew how to outline a stitch line with pins and could at least iron every garnet flat. Right now his main focus was making sure each garnet was being worked on in the order they were needed to be on stage according to the new setlist. The panther worked in silence, following their costumer’s instructions in fetching materials when asked and continued to iron out or cut whatever clothes needed.

A blank look on his face remained the entire time, unsure how to process Mondo’s anger from earlier. Had he done something to upset him? Was it really too much to ask for him to perform something during the encore? Ishimaru hated this; the feeling of uncertainty a though he had done the worst possible act just by following what he felt was best. All he was thinking now was that he had just made thing worse, caused a strain on his and Mondo’s relationship, or that their entire bond was at risk of tonight didn’t end in anything short of perfection. Without even knowing it, Ishimaru was working faster, beginning to sweat. He truly felt like he was going to lose everything he had worked so hard for all over one mistake that really wasn’t even his from the start.

The minutes ticked by and just in time they had first garnet fixed, and then the second one thankfully didn’t have as big of an issue. Ishimaru huffed as he continued his assistance along all while checking in over their ear pieces how everything was going out on the main floor. He was just about to walk out and see for himself when- _thud!_ A cold, dripping unopened bottled water was slammed right next to him on the table, clenched in a tiger paw. “Drink up. We all need one, you included.” Mondo’s voice thundered.

He glanced up to see him standing right next time him, fur soaked in sweat and a towel draped around his shoulders, panting heavily. Ishimaru didn’t know what to say, or even how to react before looking back at the water body, too skittish to even reach out and take it despite how inviting it was.

“Everything’s movin’ just fine out there. Stay here and keep helpin’ out and we’ll be fine,” Mondo continued as he pulled up a work chair and sat down beside Ishimaru. He forced a tired smile on his face. The faint echo of piano could be heard coming from the main stage. “It’s the ballad portion and everyone’s taking their breather and bathroom break. If you’re ahead then you should try and do the same, if not now then at some point later tonight. We’re all in a bad mood but that ain’t no reason for ya to ignore yourself over this. Need any help? I’ll do what I can!”

Ishimaru still remained silent, glancing back and forth between Mondo, the fabrics on the table, and the water bottle. It was as if he was having to make a choice over something right away, and all three seemed like the wrong thing to put his focus on if not for one reason than another. “Uh, I uh…” He was stressing. “J-just cut a yard of that pink leopard print o-over there! It is all set up. It just needs to be cut.” That was all he could force out before immediately going back to his own work, pinning some patches in place and gluing a new set of stones where the seamstress had marked.

Mondo only nodded before standing up and going to the other side of the table where Ishimaru had pointed, grabbing a pair of scissors as he did so. His eyes remained fixed on the panther, seeing his fur stand up, ears twitch and tail remain stiff behind him. It wasn’t hard to tell that Ishimaru was upset, even overwhelmed by all this. The tiger thought for a moment, trying his best to read the air around them both before choosing his next words. He figured he had to do something to help ease the tension even just a little.

With a deep breath, and finally a snip into the fabric before him, Mondo finally said, “I’m sorry if I kinda came at ya kinda hard earlier.” He started cutting, going slowly to make sure it’d be neat and clean along the entire piece.

“W-what?!”

Now he had Ishimaru’s attention.

“Maybe I came off a little too strong ya, or sounded anger at ya. That wasn’t really the case, ya know? I just saw ya lookin’ all down and defeated and stuff, and I didn’t like it. I wasn’ tryin’ ta blame ya or anythin’ like that. Ya feel me?”

Ishimaru didn’t respond, but just kept staring at Mondo, watching his as he worked.

“Y’ere always beatin’ y’ereself up over everythin’ even if it isn’t your fault or your problem. But you always try ta fix it and when thing’s don’t go how ya hope then you shut down. Ya can’t do that. You gotta see everythin’ ya start through to the end, even if it means failure, ya know? You ain’t bein’ a terrible mammal because ya failed. Y’ere a terrible mammal when ya fuckin’ quit!”

**_SNIP! All done._ **

Mondo looked up, meeting Ishimaru’s gaze. “We’re halfway through this disaster. Stressing about the what-ifs or possible outcomes is wasting time. When you see a large amount of work in front of you the only way to make it go away is to tackle it bit by bit, just like we’re all doin’ right now. I ain’t y’ere fault this happened, but everyone is workin’ tagether to make your solution possible. So…drink that damn water for your own sake and let’s finish this, alright?”

They could both hear the crowd beginning to cheer along with the next transition segment begin. It was time for the next act of the show. They both nodded. “Y’ere fabrics’ cut. I need ta get back out there. See ya after the show, whether it’s a good or bad ending, same as always!” Mondo downed the rest of his own water and raced out back to the main stage.

Ishimaru, on the other hand, remained seated in a blended feeling of both confusion and relief. So had he just misunderstood Mondo’s actions from earlier? He sighed. Maybe he really had just over reacted, projecting his own fears of his father onto Mondo thanks to the tiger’s tone and expression. He sat there for only a moment long, repeating what he had just heard in his head, trying hard to digest it all despite his emotionally heightened state. And then finally, from his lips with what little voice he had left, Ishimaru just muttered, “…the only way to make it go away is to tackle it bit by bit….” Another pause before he looked back at the still-unopened water bottle next him. The condensation clouding the outside of the plastic said that it was still cold, begging to be drank.

No one had to tell Ishimaru what needed to be done. His throat would thank him for the rest of the evening as he continued working….

* * *

 

It was encore time and they had only the last garnet for _Try Everything_ to finish and they knew they were going to finish it in time. Everything had gone smoothly, despite how stressful. Sure, a few stones might be missing but would that really matter in an arena venue? Surely no one in the crowd would notice. The seamstress had even assured any more touches could be done afterwards and everything be good as new for the next tour. They had survived the biggest nightmare of their careers.

All that was left now…was for Ishimaru to just relax, take the breather and a bathroom break that he should have done 20 minutes ago, but didn’t to make sure all the seams and been properly hemmed. With that, Ishimaru ran out of the sewing room to the closest bathroom he could find to relieve himself of the thumping pressure in his lower abdominals. When he got out, he’d watch the final number from the same spot he always had, smiling all the while and dancing along where no one could see him save Mondo, winking at him in passing glances until the show finally came to its grand close, unleashing half the entire world’s supply of confetti onto the audience.

An overall stressful night and ended as amazing as possible against all odds.

* * *

 

Mondo found Ishimaru shortly after the final bow.

“Ya feelin’ better,” he said calmly, panting as heavy as ever before, and hunched over his knees. “you really…pulled through. Ya really got us outta that jam, ya know...?”

Ishimaru only nodded and stepped closer to Mondo with a rag in hand, happy to help clear out any unwanted moisture from his fur, dripping into his eyes. “Yeah, I’m feeling alright, but you’re the one who looks more beat than anyone here.” His fingers hurt, and he was mentally drained, but that was about it as far as Ishimaru was concerned. Anyone could look at Mondo and tell that his was ready collapse. “Let’s…get out of here quickly and get some food. We both could use it, I’m sure.”

Mondo looked up and smiled. “Sounds perfect. How about we just…” he paused to gather himself back to his feet and shake off some of his tiredness. A paw found its way to Ishimaru’s should like it had before, only this time it was calmer, softer, more gentile. “…what say we just grab whatever’s still open this late and go back to my place, huh?” The tiger tilted his head the side and smiled down at the Ishimaru warmly with inviting eyes.

The panther nodded. “Yeah…I’d like that….”


End file.
